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Ontario-aligned · Grade 3

Grade 3 Science curriculum practice

Life systems, matter and energy, structures and mechanisms, and Earth and space practice based on the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum. Brightwick breaks the roadmap into short, focused goals that children can practise independently and revisit when a concept needs more time.

4
Curriculum strands
6
Topics
30
Lesson goals
Roadmap status: lesson availability grows throughout early access. This page shows the complete set of learning goals Brightwick is working toward; some lessons may still be in review. See our mapping and approval method →

Science strand

Life Systems

Plants and Their Parts

What plants need to live, and the job each plant part does.

Learning goals

  • What Plants Need to GrowIdentify the basic needs of plants: light, water, air, space, and nutrients.
  • Roots and StemsDescribe how roots anchor a plant and take in water, and how stems support it and move water up.
  • Leaves Make FoodExplain that leaves use sunlight, air, and water to make food for the plant.
  • Flowers and SeedsDescribe the job of flowers in making seeds and of seeds in growing new plants.
  • How People Use PlantsIdentify ways people use plants for food, clothing, building materials, and medicine.

Plant Life Cycles

How plants grow, make seeds, and spread to new places.

Learning goals

  • From Seed to PlantOrder the stages in the life cycle of a flowering plant.
  • GerminationDescribe what happens when a seed germinates and what it needs to sprout.
  • PollinationExplain how bees and other pollinators help flowering plants make seeds.
  • How Seeds TravelDescribe ways seeds are spread by wind, water, and animals.
  • Plants in Different PlacesDescribe how plants survive in different environments, such as deserts and forests.

Science strand

Matter and Energy

Forces All Around Us

Pushes, pulls, and friction — the forces that start, stop, and change motion.

Learning goals

  • Pushes and PullsIdentify a force as a push or a pull that can make an object start, stop, or change how it moves.
  • Stronger and Weaker ForcesPredict how a bigger or smaller force changes an object's speed or direction.
  • FrictionDescribe friction as a force between surfaces that slows things down, and where it helps or hinders.
  • Contact and Non-Contact ForcesSort forces by whether they need touching (kicking a ball) or act at a distance (magnets, gravity).
  • Forces in Everyday LifeIdentify the forces at work in familiar activities like sports, playgrounds, and simple machines.

Magnets, Gravity, and Static

Invisible forces that act without touching.

Learning goals

  • Gravity Pulls Things DownDescribe gravity as a force that pulls objects toward the Earth.
  • Magnets and Magnetic MaterialsIdentify which materials are attracted to magnets and which are not.
  • Magnetic PolesDescribe how like poles of magnets repel and opposite poles attract.
  • Static ElectricityDescribe static electricity as a force that can attract objects after materials are rubbed together.
  • Using Invisible ForcesIdentify everyday devices and activities that use gravity, magnets, or static electricity.

Science strand

Structures and Mechanisms

Strong and Stable Structures

What makes bridges, towers, and buildings strong and steady.

Learning goals

  • What Is a Structure?Identify structures around us and describe the purpose each one serves.
  • Strength and StabilityExplain the difference between a structure being strong and being stable.
  • Shapes That Make Structures StrongDescribe how shapes like triangles and arches make structures stronger.
  • Choosing MaterialsCompare the properties of materials and choose ones suited to a structure's job.
  • Forces Acting on StructuresIdentify forces like weight and wind that push and pull on structures.

Science strand

Earth and Space Systems

Soils in the Environment

What soil is made of, and why living things depend on it.

Learning goals

  • What Is Soil Made Of?Identify the parts of soil: sand, silt, clay, humus, air, and water.
  • Types of SoilCompare sandy, clay, and loam soils and how well each holds water.
  • Soil and Living ThingsDescribe how plants and animals, like earthworms, depend on soil and help keep it healthy.
  • CompostingExplain how composting returns nutrients from food and plant waste back to the soil.
  • Protecting Our SoilDescribe how soil can be lost through erosion and ways people protect it.

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Curriculum reference: official Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum ↗